Troy Herfoss won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his S&S Indian Challenger on spec Dunlop tires, the reigning Australian Superbike Champion took the lead on the opening lap, controlled the pace for all nine laps, and took the victory – his seventh of the season.
With the race victory, Herfoss captured the 2024 Championship in his rookie season racing in the class.
Race One winner Rocco Landers passed Kyle Wyman on the final lap to claim the runner-up spot on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
Wyman, the Championship point leader coming into the weekend, couldn’t match the pace of Herfoss, ran second for most of the race, and ultimately finished third on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara took fourth place.
Hayden Gillim, Landers’ teammate and the defending Champion, came home fifth.
The 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship ended with one of the best races of the season. Pole-sitter Loris Baz got out in front early and spent most of the race holding off his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati teammate Josh Herrin. That is until four other riders caught up to them in the closing laps.
In spite of the strong, late challenge, Baz was able to hang on and take the win – the first MotoAmerica Superbike win of his career and the first AMA/MotoAmerica Superbike win by a Frenchman – by 0.151 second.
Sean Dylan Kelly got close enough to challenge Baz on the final lap, but the Superbike rookie chose not to make a risky pass attempt and to accept the runner-up spot on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Bobby Fong also closed in on Baz at the end but ended up taking third on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1.
Five-time Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier was a close fourth on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW.
Richie Escalante got off to a slow start but thanks to the second-fastest lap of the race (1:20.899) he was able to score fifth, just 0.886 second behind the winner.
After shadowing Baz for much of the race, Herrin faded toward the end and eventually crossed the finish line in sixth, 3.121 seconds back.
Escalante’s teammate Brandon Paasch ended up seventh.
FLO4LAW Racing Yamaha’s Benjamin Smith held off AMD Motorsports/RK Racing Honda’s Richard Kerr in a race-long fight for eighth.
Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 finishers on his Jones Honda, but that was enough for him to win the 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Championship and its $25,000 grand prize.
Baz Gets His First MotoAmerica Superbike Win At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Baz Is The First Frenchman To Win An AMA Superbike Race In A Thriller In New Jersey
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 29, 2024) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz became the first Frenchman to win an AMA Superbike race on Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park with a thrilling victory in a race that featured five riders finishing within a second of Baz and his Ducati Panigale V4 R.
In winning his first MotoAmerica Superbike race, Baz became the 68th rider in AMA Superbike history to taste victory. He was also the seventh rider to win a MotoAmerica Superbike race in 2024, with the previous high being five different winners in a season.
Second place went to EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly with the Floridian fighting his way through the pack to emerge as the one to give Baz the most fits in the final few laps. Kelly came up just .151 of a second short in earning his seventh podium of the season, which includes his first Superbike win a few weeks ago in Texas.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong earned his second podium finish of the weekend as he was hot on Kelly’s rear wheel in third place, ending up .140 of a second adrift of the BMW.
Fourth place, for the second straight day, went to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion just a tick over half a second behind Baz and only .127 of a second behind Fong. Right on Beaubier’s rear wheel was fifth-placed Richie Escalante on the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki in what turned out to be one of the best Superbike races of the season.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, meanwhile, wrapped up his second AMA Superbike Championship yesterday with an impressive ride to victory, but today he was playing wingman to Baz in a role reversal. Herrin followed Baz for 90 percent of the race, but suddenly there were four riders on the attack. At that point, Herrin tapped out and he cruised home to sixth place, some three seconds behind his teammate Baz.
With his win on Saturday, Herrin tied Wayne Rainey on the all-time Superbike win list for 10th with his 16th victory. He is now one victory behind Nicky Hayden for ninth on the win list.
Seventh place went to Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch, who was well clear of FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith. MD Motorsport RK Racing’s Richard Kerr and Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10.
After nine rounds and 18 races, Herrin ended the season 55 points ahead of Beaubier, 335-280, with Fong finishing third and the top-ranked Yamaha rider. Just 12 points behind Fong came Superbike rookie Kelly.
Baz’s second season of MotoAmerica Superbike racing netted him fifth in the title chase, just four points behind Kelly and 28 points ahead of Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen with the South African unfortunately finishing his season with another mechanical DNF.
Quotes…
Loris Baz – Winner
“The guys did a good job because since Austin I’ve been struggling a lot with my start. We had some problem with my clutch. They found some parts that were not nice after Austin, so they changed it. But yesterday I had a bad start again and had a really strange feeling going into the warmup lap, so I was scared going to the race. But I had a good start. I can manage to go first and finally able to be aggressive again like I was in ’21. That has been the biggest problem for me this year. Not being able to be aggressive and overtake guys, for many reasons in the setup. I was first, and because we didn’t have many dry sessions this year, only two and it was the two races, I didn’t know what to expect from the rear tire drop at the end. So, I knew I had Josh (Herrin) and one guy, and then they just showed me there was Josh. So, I tried to slow down the pace, not use my tire, and then I was watching Josh’s pit board and it was plus 1.5, plus 1, plus 0.5. I was like, ‘whoa, they’re coming back.’ But then I was just instead of trying to push and kill the tire, I tried to close the line. Josh showed me his wheel. I overtook him again. I think he made my life easier. I think he had something more all season than everyone, and especially today. I saw in the warmup how his bike reacted. But we did some changes. We went in this direction. We changed the lean of the bike between the warmup and the race, so big thanks to the crew for that, and I felt good. It’s cool that we worked together all year and it’s paying off, especially for the team. It’s so cool to end up like this. It’s the home race for the whole team and we’re going to celebrate at the Mount Airy Casino tonight, which is a sponsor of the team. So, it’s cool. My dad is here. It’s the first time he came to a race in America. He’s going to come every race next year. Coming back to the race, last lap I knew there were many guys behind. I could hear that it was not Josh anymore. I thought it was Cam (Beaubier). I just tried to close the line. Going into that last lap, Hayden Gillim moved yesterday going in. I was like, should I close the door, or should I just try to go in fast and see what happens? I’m just happy it worked out. Sometimes just a tiny bit that makes you a hero or zero. But I’m proud of what I did and what all the guys did in HSBK this weekend.”
Sean Dylan Kelly – Second Place
“Definitely a pretty amazing way to finish off the season. Obviously, we always want to finish off strong. I didn’t win today, but I think that was definitely one of my two strongest races of the whole season. The other one being obviously when I won. This one, I came from a ways back and both Ducatis got up really strong at the beginning. I was able to get through the pack. Obviously qualifying seventh was not ideal, so I had to make some moves, make some passes. Straight out of the gate I felt way better than yesterday. Not too much to say. Up until today, it was a very strange weekend. Obviously, it was strange for everyone with the weather, but even just how I felt on the bike, some issues we were having, some things that we were running into and some silly mistakes we were making within the team, too. Like Q1 when I qualified seventh, that was first on me and then on the team. We didn’t do the right strategy. We definitely messed some things up today, but we are a rookie rider, rookie team. I think we didn’t make as many as we thought we should have this season in general, so it’s okay to get it in. Maybe we relaxed a bit too much after a win a couple weeks ago. We got it together today. I felt amazing. I saw Cam (Beaubier) struggling a little bit, so I got by him and it seemed like he got some pace while being behind me and he got in front of me. He made fastest lap, and then he made a mistake. I got by. I learned a little bit from him that fast lap. I feel like once he did that, I just kept on repeating the lap time. I just put my head down and I was just committed to getting to these guys. Got by Josh with a few laps to go. I definitely tried it on (Loris) Baz, but it was going to be way, way too dirty. He was braking really strong. Obviously, I was also a bit toasted up from coming a couple seconds back. I’m pretty stoked for him. I didn’t realize it was his first-ever win here, so that’s pretty badass that we did it two weekends in a row. It’s a pleasure to be racing with these dudes.”
PJ Jacobsen won MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2 on Dunlop tires, the New York native fought off season-long rival Mathew Scholtz to take his seventh win of the season.
Scholtz, the newly crowned 2024 Supersport Champion, put up a tough fight for the first half of the race but had to settle for second place on his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Rahal Ducati Moto w/Roller Die + Forming’s Corey Alexander put in a strong, late-race push to secure third.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was in the hunt for a podium finish for most of the race but ended up fourth.
Blake Davis went from 17th on the grid to a fifth-place finish on his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R6.
Herfoss Crowned In King Of The Baggers Finale At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Troy Herfoss And Hayden Gillim Are The Final 2024 Champions Crowned In The 2024 MotoAmerica Championship
Troy Herfoss (17) leads Kyle Wyman (33), James Rispoli (43) and Rocco Landers (97) in Sunday’s finale of the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 29, 2024) – S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss removed any drama from Sunday’s title decider in the Mission King Of The Baggers finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park as the Australian made the race his own, crossing the finish line as the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Champion.
Although the pair were separated by just two points at the start of Sunday’s finale, the winner-take-all thriller between Herfoss and Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman never materialized. Wyman got the start he wanted, led briefly and was soon passed by Herfoss. It didn’t take Wyman long to realize he didn’t have the same pace as his Indian-mounted rival, and it ended up being a tough day at the office for the winningest rider ind Mission King Of The Baggers history.
It didn’t get any easier for Wyman when he was attacked from behind by RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers with the 19-year-old eventually taking second from the New Yorker. Wyman held on for third and he and Herfoss ended the season just 11 points apart.
For Herfoss it was his seventh win of the year and his 14th trip to the podium out of 18 races and he adds the King Of The Baggers title to his three Australian Superbike Championships. He crossed the line 1.7 seconds ahead of Landers after fist pumping his way through the final set of corners.
Landers, in turn, was just .119 of a second ahead of a disappointed Wyman.
Landers late-season burst of speed moved him all the way to fourth in the championship. He actually tied his teammate Hayden Gillim, fifth today, in the points tally, but the spot went to Gillim via the tiebreaker.
Fourth place in Sunday’s finale went to Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara, just a few tenths ahead of Gillim.
“Firstly, thank you,” Herfoss said. “It’s been an incredible journey. Seriously, twelve months ago I was in this position in Australia and on top of the world, but didn’t know exactly what I wanted from racing moving forward. This incredible opportunity to come and race for a new motorcycle (brand) in King Of The Baggers came up. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone, and that’s exactly what it was. I was extremely uncomfortable from the banks of Daytona through the world championship crowds at COTA to the gravel trap at Brainerd, and to here, this moment winning a championship. It’s been a wild ride and an incredible journey. Kyle (Wyman) has been an amazing competitor, just a true professional in every way. He literally just kept himself in there on his bad days, and on the good days he made me pay. It was exciting. It was stressful. It’s a real highlight for me. Last year was a huge highlight for me, coming back from a big injury to win a Superbike Championship in Australia. But I don’t know if I believed I could do this at the start of the year, so that’s why it makes it pretty special for me.”
Hayden Gillim wrapped up the Stock 1000 Championship after winning Sunday’s race over Ashton Yates (27). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Stock 1000 – Seven Is Heaven For Gillim
With a 12-point lead in hand at the start of the last Stock 1000 race of the season, Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim didn’t have to win to be crowned champion. But he won anyway.
The win, his seventh of the year, combined with his rival Jayson Uribe finishing third on the OrangeCat BMW M 1000 RR, gave Gillim his second successive Stock 1000 Championship with this one coming on a Honda CBR1000RR-R SP – thus giving Honda its first-ever MotoAmerica title.
Second place went to Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates with the Georgian hounding Gillim for the entire race. Yates waited until the final lap to make a move on Gillim with a pass in turn one on the final lap. But it didn’t stick as Gillim re-passed him immediately. From there it was just a case of defending the inside and keeping Yates behind him.
Yates held on for second, just .049 of a second off the back of Gillim, and it was enough to earn him third in the championship.
Uribe ended a highly successful season of racing with a third-place finish as he narrowly topped FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith on the final lap by just .030 of a second.
AMD Motorsport RK Racing’s Richard Kerr was fifth with the Irishman well clear of sixth-placed Bryce Prince on his BPR Yamaha YZF-R1.
“It means a lot,” Gillim said. “Haven’t had a weekend like this since Barber. Had a couple crashes and made it a lot harder on ourselves. Jayson (Uribe) was making us work for it. Ashton (Yates) was really getting it going here at the end. It’s cool to have Honda one and two and wrap up the championship for the Real Steel Southern Honda Powersports team. It’s cool to have the family and everybody here and all the fans. Thanks for sticking it out in the weather.”
Mathew Chapin (95) leads Ella Dreher (22) and Avery Dreher (1) in their epic battle in Sunday’s Junior Cup race at NJMP. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Junior Cup – Chapin In A Thriller
On Sunday, it was the final race of the final season for the Junior Cup Championship as the class gives way to the inaugural MotoAmerica Talent Cup Championship in 2025. Two teams and four riders raced in close formation at the front, and who would win, who would reach the podium, and who would finish just off the podium were in question right up until they crossed the finish line.
BARTCON Racing’s Matthew Chapin, who won the championship two weekends ago at Circuit of The Americas, prevailed with the win by just .252 of a second over Bad Boys Racing’s Ella Dreher, while Dreher’s older brother Avery Dreher – who was this year’s defending class champion – crossed the finish line only .018 of a second behind Ella to take the third spot on the podium.
Chapin’s teammate Eli Block finished fourth, just missing out on the podium by .008 of a second.
“Oh, man. That race was really fun,” Chapin said. “I had fun battling with Eli, Avery, and Ella. They were all ripping. It was overall a great race. None of us really made any mistakes. It was really hard to close the gap to Avery at first. He was fast right from the start. I just want to give a huge thanks to (team owner) Colin Barton and (crew chief) Mike Skowronek for everything they’ve done for me this season. My mom and dad, and all my family and friends for coming out. Blud lubricants, KYT, Bison, thank you guys.”
PJ Jacobsen (15) and Mathew Scholtz (11) were at it again in Supersport class action at NJMP. Jacobsen won with Scholtz finishing second. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Supersport – Jacobsen Ends It In Victory
With the 2024 Supersport Championship decided on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, title winner Mathew Scholtz was free to mix it up with the field on Sunday.
And mix it up, he did. It was “just like old times again” in MotoAmerica’s middleweight class as Strack Racing’s Scholtz and Rahal Ducati Moto’s PJ Jacobsen took their familiar spots at the front of the field and proceeded to swap the lead back and forth.
The situation stabilized in the middle laps of the race as Jacobsen established himself in the lead. The New Yorker then stretched his lead at the front and took the checkered flag nearly three-and-a-half seconds ahead of race runner-up Scholtz. Jacobsen’s teammate Corey Alexander finished third, almost 13 seconds behind Scholtz.
“Last night, I didn’t sleep too well,” Jacobsen said. “It was a hard race yesterday for me. I was really struggling, but we kind of went back to the drawing board last night and figured out some stuff that we saw on the data. I felt pretty good in morning warmup, and then, in the race, I felt really good, as well. I was actually surprised that (Mathew) Scholtz was there and made the pass. I was running mid-22s at that point. I was like, ‘Wow, this is pretty fast.’ But it’s been like that all season with him. I was happy to get the win here for the last race of the season and going into winter like that. Especially for the team itself. They worked so hard this first season. So, I’m really proud of the team and everything that they’ve accomplished. We didn’t get the championship, but we definitely fought pretty hard for it. We made some mistakes along the way as a team, also me as a rider. I feel like it was a really good season.
“Having Scholtz as a person to battle with all year, we used to talk more in Superbike and stuff, and I think all the stuff that drew to the competition. It was almost like UFC fighting. It was really good. At the end of the day, that’s how it should be. You don’t want to be laughing and stuff like that with the person you’re battling with. You go in there, and he has to pay his bills, and I have to pay mine. So, at the end of the day, he won a championship, and we’re not really friends on the track. So, I congratulate him and the whole team. Hopefully, he and I can start talking again and be friends. It’s been a long season. Congrats to them. I really enjoyed this whole season, even though it’s been super up-and-down. I had strong moments and bad ones. You look back and you learn from all that stuff. So, we’ll just move forward and get ready for next year.”
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK RACE 2
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2024 | WARM-UP & RACE 2
The checkered flag has been waved for the final time of the 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport season. And just as the season started, the Rahal Ducati Moto team claimed victory as PJ Jacobsen crossed the finish line with Corey Alexander coming in third and Kayla Yaakov finishing seventh.
With nothing to lose, all three riders rode incredible races and finished the season off on an incredible effort.
As the final round of competition falls behind us, Rahal Ducati Moto reflects back on the incredible success coming out of its debut season. Take a look at the below statistics from RDM’s first year:
Seven race wins: Road Atlanta Race 1 (Jacobsen), Road America Race 2 (Jacobsen), Road America Race 1 (Jacobsen), Laguna Seca Race 1 (Jacobsen), Laguna Seca Race 2 (Jacobsen), Mid-Ohio Race 1 (Jacobsen), New Jersey Race 2 (Jacobsen)
20 total podiums: Road Atlanta Race 2 (2nd, Alexander), Barber Race 1 (2nd, Jacobsen), Barber Race 2 (2nd, Jacobsen), Road America Race 2 (3rd, Jacobsen), Brainerd Race 1 (2nd, Jacobsen), Brainerd Race 2 (2nd, Jacobsen // 3rd, Alexander), Ridge Race 1 (2nd, Jacobsen // 3rd, Yaakov), Ridge Race 2 (2nd, Yaakov), COTA Race 1 (3rd, Alexander), New Jersey Race 1 (2nd, Alexander // 3rd, Jacobsen), New Jersey Race 2 (3rd, Corey Alexander)
29 top-five finishes, 43 top-10 finishes
14 front-row starts
679 of 722 laps completed
90 of a possible 245 laps led
Only two races in which a Rahal Ducati Moto Rider did not finish on the podium (Mid-Ohio Race 2 and COTA Race 2)
As the truck heads back to the team’s new headquarters in Zionsville, Indiana, and begins to prep for the 2025 season, we are incredibly thankful to our entire crew, our riders, our sponsors, and our fans for all their support throughout our rookie season. Rahal Ducati Moto looks forward to growing the team’s success and fighting for the championship next season.
Keep up with all things Rahal Ducati Moto this off season by following the team on social media (@rahalducatimoto).
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 4th
FINISHED: 1st
CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd (331 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Today was great. I feel like yesterday we were struggling with grip and some other things out of our hands. I went 1.1 seconds faster in this race. I felt really good today. Scholtz was pressuring me and got past me, but then I regained myself again and felt great – even towards the end if he were to come back towards me with those laped bikes – I still could’ve went faster with my lap times. I’m really happy to cap of the season like this, especially for the team. They’ve done such a great job this entire season. It’s great to end the season with a win and get a short break before working for next year, when we start testing and Graham [Rahal] can keep it rolling for us next season. Huge thanks to the whole team and XPEL.”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 ROLLER DIE + FORMING DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 3rd
FINISHED: 3rd
CHAMPIONSHIP: 6th (176 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a great weekend for us at home here in New Jersey – getting two podiums to cap off the year. I really wanted to get a win before the season was over, and I gave it everything I had today, but PJ and Mathew [Scholtz] were riding too well for me. I had nothing left with some grip issues, but otherwise they just outrode me. I’m stoked to go into the off season and continue into next year with some more progress. Thanks to the whole team for all their hard work all year and thanks to Roller Die and our sponsors for making this possible.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 5th
FINISHED: 7th
CHAMPIONSHIP: 7th (151 pts)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “We just finished the last race of the year, and I would’ve liked to end it on a better note, but with all things considered, I’m very happy with the progress we made. This whole season has been amazing, and I couldn’t have asked to be a part of a better team. For our first year, we’ve done an amazing job. I’m happy that we were able to achieve my goal, which was to be on the podium by the middle of the season. We made progress, continued to chip away at it, and got closer to the front – a definite positive. As much as I would’ve wanted to be a little bit closer, this is part of it, and we’re going to continue to keep learning and keep growing. I can’t wait to continue with this team next year and come back even stronger.
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a really great last race of the season for Rahal Ducati Moto. I’m really proud of all three riders. PJ rode lights out, Corey had a good third place, and Kayla had a pretty rough weekend until this morning and in the race, but she was able to regroup, turn it around to where she wanted to be, and put in a great race. We can’t be happier with how they rode. For the first year on the team, everything worked out really well. We wanted the championship, but it’s our first year and that’s the way it goes. We just have to do better next year. I can’t say enough about the whole team, I’m very happy for everybody.”
Matthew Chapin won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race Two Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 on spec Dunlop tires, the newly crowned Champion came out on top of a four-way fight that went down to the checkered flag. It was the seventh win of the season for Chapin.
Bad Boys Racing’s Ella Dreher, age 14, went from fourth to second in the final run to the line. Dreher finished 0.252 second behind Chapin and just 0.018 second ahead of her 18-year-old brother Avery Dreher.
Chapin’s teammate Eli Block was fourth, just 0.008 second behind Avery Dreher.
Zarns Performance’s Levi Badie rounded out the top five.
Hayden Gillim won MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Riding his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on Dunlop control tires, Gillim held off a race-long challenge from Ashton Yates to win the race and with it the 2024 Championship.
Yates tried to pass Gillim on the last lap but couldn’t make it stick and had to settle for second place on his Jones Honda.
Gillim’s primary Championship rival Jayson Uribe charged forward from eighth on the grid, but the best he could do was third on his OrangeCat Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
More, from a press release issued by Real Steel Motorsports:
Hayden Gillim is the back-to-back MotoAmerica Stock 1000 champion after capturing the 2024 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship with his Honda CBR 1000RR-R Fireblade SP in the final race at the final 2024 round at NJMP.
Hayden Gillim (1). Photo courtesy Real Steel Motorsports.
Real Steel Motorsports Millville, New Jersey September 29, 2024: MotoAmerica Superbikes at New Jersey event held September 27 – 29, 2024 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ.
Hayden Gillim went into the final round of the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship with a 7-point lead in the standings and finished off qualifying Friday afternoon with provisional pole position with a 1.5 second gap back to 2nd place. With conditions Saturday morning the Friday times stood as the fastest and Gillim had pole position for the races.
In the first race on Saturday Hayden took the lead from the start and led for the first 10 laps until his competitor for the championship passed for the lead. The remaining 4 laps were a dogfight with Hayden making a last lap last corner pass to take the victory. Going into the final race on Sunday Gillim had a 12-point lead.
On Sunday Hayden again took the lead off the start and while hounded by a fellow Honda CBR 1000RR-R, he was never passed and finished the season with another victory. Gillim retained the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship despite stiff competition and showcased the potential of the Honda CBR 1000RR-R SP Fireblade.
This effort is proudly supported by Steel Commander Corp. Southern Honda Powersports, American Honda, Comstock Energy LLC, Vesrah, Maxima Racing Oils, Fast Line Track Days, KTech suspension, Orient Express, Dunlop, GB Racing, Redline Tire warmers, and REB Graphics.
Hayden Gillim – Rider #1: “This season was a ton of fun with lots of ups and lots of downs and a few too many crashes but on the Stock 1000 everything came together in the end. I won a good handful of races and just had a lot of fun with the team. I can’t thank the sponsors, crew (Jerry, Mark, Rob, Colby and Chuck) and Summer and the kids enough. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”
Jerry Nickell – Team Principal: “2024 has been an exciting year and the team is proud to have brought a MotoAmerica championship to Honda with the CBR 1000RR-R SP Fireblade – It’s been a long time coming. Hayden is an amazing rider and a great partner in this adventure. I’m looking forward to returning to the MotoAmerica paddock next year and continuing to build on our team’s success and history.”
Mark Junge – Crew Chief: “Hayden was a Beast on this Honda CBR 1000RR-R Fireblade SP even with his injured hand and really highlighted the performance of this package. On the next to the last lap in Saturday’s race he had a major tank-slapper coming on to the front straight that measured at 2.8 G’s and had 18 oscillations on the data, and he recovered and made a winning pass in the final corner – He is an amazing rider.”
David Carmody – GM Southern Honda Powersports: “Southern Honda Powersports is proud to be a part of the Real Steel Motorsports family and partner with Hayden on the project to bring the Honda CBR 1000RR-R SP Fireblade to the top step of the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Hayden, Jerry, Mark and the team in 2025.”
From fourth on the grid Adrian Huertas made a bad start and dropped to seventh position on the opening lap. The championship leader struggled throughout the race and eventually finished in fifth position as he was unable to progress through the lead group
Having started from the front row of the grid Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) made a strong start but running wide at Turn 12 and Turn 15 on Lap 2 dropped him to fifth position. As he made progress through the lead group the combative Italian came past Valentin Debise and Can Oncu on consecutive laps. It was in the second half of the race where Montella showed his speed. Taking the lead on Lap 8 from Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) Montella immediately set the fastest lap of the race as he opened a gap that at the end of the 15 lap race was almost two seconds to the field. The victory was his sixth of the season
Starting from pole position Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) led for the opening third of the race. An aggressive overtaking move by Navarro saw contact between the two on the run to Turn 15 and on the final lap Manzi was able to come back past his rival and claim the tenth second place finish of his season
A final corner move by Navarro saw him come past Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) for his second podium of the season
Championship standings
Huertas now holds a 41 point advantage over Montella in the standings with Manzi five points further back. Huertas can claim the title at the next round of the championship
Debise has taken command of fourth in the standings to sit 14 points ahead of Marcel Schroetter with four races remaining
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P1 | Yari Montella
“It was a perfect way to end the weekend. Yesterday, we lost a podium finish when I was fighting with Stefano and Valentin. Today I needed to focus on getting to the front and being able to set my pace. I knew that this was our best option to win. The start of the race was a bit crazy but I stayed focused. My goal is to arrive at the final day of the season in Jerez on the final Sunday and to still be fighting for the championship. It’s not easy in Supersport but we need to remain focused on the bike’s setup and try to find the right direction from the start of each weekend. Estoril is a good track for me. I like it and I have good memories there. It should be a fun way to finish the championship.”
Alvaro Bautista won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday at MotorLand Aragon, in Alcaniz, Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Pirelli control tires, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 18-lap race by 3.366 seconds. It was Bautista’s second full-length race win of the season to go with his two Superpole Race wins in 2024.
World Championship point leader Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR.
The start of a World Superbike race Sunday at MotorLand Aragon. Photo courtesy Dorna.
A race long three rider battle was settled in Alvaro Bautista’s favour on the final lap. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider made the critical overtaking move just three corners from home to defeat Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the run to the flag
Having finished second in Race 1, Razgatlioglu repeated his effort during the Superpole Race. The Turkish rider led 3 laps, and set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 7, but couldn’t hold off the charge of Bautista on the final lap
Race 1 winner Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) finished in fourth position ahead of Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team)
Race 2 Highlights
Starting from pole position Bautista led every lap to claim the 63rd victory of his WorldSBK career. The Ducati rider was under pressure throughout the 18 lap duration as he traded fastest lap after fastest lap with Razgatlioglu but in the closing three laps Bautista finally broke clear and opened a margin of one second to his rival
Despite starting third and finishing third it was a difficult day for Bulega. The rookie dropped to ninth position on Lap 2 and gradually eased his way back to the podium midway throughout the race. The Ducati rider moved past Lecuona on Lap 3, Locatelli on Lap 4, van der Mark on Lap 6, Petrucci on Lap 8 before overtaking Iannone and Gerloff on Lap 10 as he showed his speed. However, by the time he was in the podium positions he was already five seconds adrift of the race leaders and had to settle for third position
Garrett Gerloff (31) leads Andrea Iannone (29) and Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Iannone and Gerloff fought for fourth until the chequered flag and at the final corner Gerloff tried to attack but ran wide into Turn 16 and Iannone came back past
By finishing in eighth position Iker Lecuona moved ahead of his Team HRC teammate, Xavi Vierge, in the standings. Vierge finished tenth as Honda continued their strong run of form
Championship standings
Razgatlioglu extended his championship lead to 39 points over Bulega by virtue of finishing third in all three races this weekend
Bautista is now 42 points behind his teammate in the standings
Alvaro Bautista celebrates his Race Two victory. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Danilo Petrucci moved into fourth in the standings. The Barni Spark Racing Team sits 13 points ahead of Alex Lowes with the Kawasaki rider ruled out of action following a crash during the Superpole Race
Ducati extended their Manufacturers Championship lead over BMW to 42 points
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P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I felt really good with the bike today. It was much better than yesterday because I had some problems with the front in Race 1. Today, I was able to fight for the win and in the Superpole Race I made a last-lap overtake. It was a really enjoyable race this morning and for Race 2 it was great at the start because I was able to lead early on and then focus on myself. At the beginning of the race I struggled with the bike’s weight. In the first few laps, it was great to be in the lead and I could set my pace. As the race continued I felt better and could push more. On the last lap I had a gap to Toprak. I want to say a big thanks to my team. They helped me a lot this weekend to regain the confidence I was missing. I can only be happy with today.”
P2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I did my best at the start of the race. I followed Alvaro and had a plan to stay with him and then maybe to start fighting with him in the last five laps. However, in those final laps my pace started to drop. Alvaro had more grip than the other bikes in the last laps. I was pushing hard, but I could see that the gap was growing. At that point, I settled for second because it wasn’t possible to catch him. In the long corners Alvaro had a big advantage and he did an incredible job. It feels like he’s made a real comeback. I’m happy for him but I’m focused now on Estoril. I need to win there because finishing second is tough for me.”
P3 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“The beginning of the race was really difficult because I lost positions with some aggressive riders. I had to pick up the bike in braking and I dropped back to eighth place and I was stuck in the middle of the pack. I managed to recover and reach the podium, but I lost the chance to fight for the top two spots. Alvaro and Toprak both did a great job, congratulations to them. I’ll try again next time.”
Alvaro Bautista won the FIM Superbike World Championship Superpole Race Sunday at MotorLand Aragon, in Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on spec Pirelli tires, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 10-lap race by just 0.088 second.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR, but that finish further extended the Turkish rider’s lead in the World Championship point standings.
Nicolo Bulega, Bautista’s teammate and Razgatlioglu’s closest title rival, was a very close third, just 0.172 second behind first place.
Race One winner Andrea Iannone got fourth on his Team Go Eleven Ducati.
American Garrett Gerloff finished fifth on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Jorge Martin won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard won the 27-lap race by 1.404 seconds.
It was Martin’s third full-length race win of the season but his first since his victory at Le Mans in May. The win extended his lead in the MotoGP World Championship point standings to 21.
Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta was the runner-up on his Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 machine.
Two-time and defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia placed third on his Lenovo Team Ducati.
Martin’s teammate Franco Morbidelli put in another strong showing with fourth.
Marco Bezzecchi took fifth on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati.
Martin makes Sunday statement as Bagnaia’s late surge salvages podium
The #89 storms to victory on Sunday as Acosta returns to the podium, Bagnaia clinches third, Bastianini crashes out and Marquez suffers a technical issue in Indonesia
The start of Sunday’s MotoGP race in Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 29 September 2024
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) stormed to glory at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, with the #89 taking his first Sunday win since the French GP. ‘The Martinator’ looked unstoppable, claiming his first victory at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit after crashing out of the GP in both 2022 and 2023, as well as in the Tissot Sprint this season. Martin took a valuable 25 points in his Championship charge, extending his advantage from 12 to 21 as key rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) came home third after a late charge.
Between the two, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) pushed Martin hard in the early stages before being forced to settle for second, nevertheless moving up to fifth overall.
At the start, Martin made the dream launch, earning himself clear track ahead with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) in chase. Meanwhile, Bagnaia struggled on the opening lap, dropping to fourth before Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) found their way through – dropping the Italian to sixth.
Meanwhile, it was a dramatic first lap, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) crashing at Turn 3. The FIM MotoGP™ Stewards investigated the incident, with no further action taken.
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was unable to repeat his magical Sprint launch, but the #93 still made ground in the opening stages. Marc Marquez started in 12th and was soon in seventh – setting sights on Bagnaia.
At the front, Martin set a red-hot pace, setting the fastest lap of the Grand Prix and extending his gap to 1.333s. Meanwhile, Acosta was on the attack, leaping into second position ahead of a charging Morbidelli in an impressive move for the rookie.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) had an intense fight with Marc Marquez in the first nine laps. However, everything unfolded for the Italian, losing the front at the technical Turn 10 – dropping Di Giannantonio to 17th. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez’ Championship chances then suffered a huge blow, with technical issues dropping the #93 out of contention on Lap 12 as he pulled off, bike on fire.
Behind Martin and Acosta, the battle for the podium then really began with Morbidelli, Bastianini, Bezzecchi and Bagnaia locked together on the circuit. Bastianini tried to overtake on Lap 16 before the key move came on Lap 17 – promoting ‘The Beast’ to third. It was then some incredible pace unleashed from Bastianini, edging closer at every sector to the leaders.
Bastianini’s rhythm was sensational, but then it all came apart with a crash on the entry to Turn 1 on Lap 21 – rider OK. It was a massive blow for the #23, dropping over 70 points behind Martin in the Championship as just 12 riders remained in the Indonesian Grand Prix, only two of whom were top title contenders.
Bagnaia’s momentum built from there on out, picking off Bezzecchi on Lap 22 before the move came for third place on Lap 23 – demoting Morbidelli to fourth. Acosta was a further three seconds up the road, a tough task for even a two-time MotoGP™ World Champion.
In the closing stages, Martin had a two-second advantage, controlling the pace and the race at the front. The #89 was unstoppable on the final lap, leading the charge and storming to victory by 1.404s over rookie Acosta. Meanwhile, Bagnaia took a valuable third, bagging some points which could prove to be crucial.
Fourth place was taken by Morbidelli, with the Italian showing a continuing to his impressive form. The #21 claimed the bragging rights over Bezzecchi, who rounded out the top five spots as Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) crossed the line a further 4.558s behind in sixth and ended the day as the top Aprilia rider. Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) pulled off another stunning ride, finishing in seventh for the third GP in a row, beating Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to the line.
Johann Zarco landed a ninth-place finish on an incredible day for the CASTROL Honda LCR squad, Honda’s best of the season so far. The Frenchman finished ahead of Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing), who took the final spot inside the top 10. Further back, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) took 11th after an attritional day which saw Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) demoted to 12th after a 16 second penalty due to tyre pressure.
After an unbelievable weekend in Indonesia, we head to the iconic Mobility Resort Motegi for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, and with the Championship battle in full flow. Is it now a two-horse chase or are there more twists and turns just around the corner? Make sure you join us as the world’s most exciting sport returns in just one week!
Aron Canet won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. The Spaniard won the 22-lap race by a margin of 6.218 seconds on his Pirelli-shod Fantic Racing Kalex. It was Canet’s second win of the season but his first since round two in Portugal, and it moved him into a tie for third in the World Championship standings.
Current World Championship point leader Ai Ogura was the runner-up on his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro.
Alonso Lopez placed third on his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro, just 0.1 second ahead of his teammate Fermin Aldeguer in fourth.
Darryn Binder took fifth on his Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP Kalex.
American Joe Roberts got sixth on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex, but he dropped from third to fifth in the World Championship point standings. With five races remaining, Roberts was three points out of third place, 13 points behind second, and only 55 points behind leader Ogura.
Troy Herfoss won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his S&S Indian Challenger on spec Dunlop tires, the reigning Australian Superbike Champion took the lead on the opening lap, controlled the pace for all nine laps, and took the victory – his seventh of the season.
With the race victory, Herfoss captured the 2024 Championship in his rookie season racing in the class.
Race One winner Rocco Landers passed Kyle Wyman on the final lap to claim the runner-up spot on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
Wyman, the Championship point leader coming into the weekend, couldn’t match the pace of Herfoss, ran second for most of the race, and ultimately finished third on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara took fourth place.
Hayden Gillim, Landers’ teammate and the defending Champion, came home fifth.
The 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship ended with one of the best races of the season. Pole-sitter Loris Baz got out in front early and spent most of the race holding off his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati teammate Josh Herrin. That is until four other riders caught up to them in the closing laps.
In spite of the strong, late challenge, Baz was able to hang on and take the win – the first MotoAmerica Superbike win of his career and the first AMA/MotoAmerica Superbike win by a Frenchman – by 0.151 second.
Sean Dylan Kelly got close enough to challenge Baz on the final lap, but the Superbike rookie chose not to make a risky pass attempt and to accept the runner-up spot on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Bobby Fong also closed in on Baz at the end but ended up taking third on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1.
Five-time Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier was a close fourth on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW.
Richie Escalante got off to a slow start but thanks to the second-fastest lap of the race (1:20.899) he was able to score fifth, just 0.886 second behind the winner.
After shadowing Baz for much of the race, Herrin faded toward the end and eventually crossed the finish line in sixth, 3.121 seconds back.
Escalante’s teammate Brandon Paasch ended up seventh.
FLO4LAW Racing Yamaha’s Benjamin Smith held off AMD Motorsports/RK Racing Honda’s Richard Kerr in a race-long fight for eighth.
Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 finishers on his Jones Honda, but that was enough for him to win the 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Championship and its $25,000 grand prize.
Baz Gets His First MotoAmerica Superbike Win At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Baz Is The First Frenchman To Win An AMA Superbike Race In A Thriller In New Jersey
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 29, 2024) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz became the first Frenchman to win an AMA Superbike race on Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park with a thrilling victory in a race that featured five riders finishing within a second of Baz and his Ducati Panigale V4 R.
In winning his first MotoAmerica Superbike race, Baz became the 68th rider in AMA Superbike history to taste victory. He was also the seventh rider to win a MotoAmerica Superbike race in 2024, with the previous high being five different winners in a season.
Second place went to EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly with the Floridian fighting his way through the pack to emerge as the one to give Baz the most fits in the final few laps. Kelly came up just .151 of a second short in earning his seventh podium of the season, which includes his first Superbike win a few weeks ago in Texas.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong earned his second podium finish of the weekend as he was hot on Kelly’s rear wheel in third place, ending up .140 of a second adrift of the BMW.
Fourth place, for the second straight day, went to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion just a tick over half a second behind Baz and only .127 of a second behind Fong. Right on Beaubier’s rear wheel was fifth-placed Richie Escalante on the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki in what turned out to be one of the best Superbike races of the season.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, meanwhile, wrapped up his second AMA Superbike Championship yesterday with an impressive ride to victory, but today he was playing wingman to Baz in a role reversal. Herrin followed Baz for 90 percent of the race, but suddenly there were four riders on the attack. At that point, Herrin tapped out and he cruised home to sixth place, some three seconds behind his teammate Baz.
With his win on Saturday, Herrin tied Wayne Rainey on the all-time Superbike win list for 10th with his 16th victory. He is now one victory behind Nicky Hayden for ninth on the win list.
Seventh place went to Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch, who was well clear of FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith. MD Motorsport RK Racing’s Richard Kerr and Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10.
After nine rounds and 18 races, Herrin ended the season 55 points ahead of Beaubier, 335-280, with Fong finishing third and the top-ranked Yamaha rider. Just 12 points behind Fong came Superbike rookie Kelly.
Baz’s second season of MotoAmerica Superbike racing netted him fifth in the title chase, just four points behind Kelly and 28 points ahead of Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen with the South African unfortunately finishing his season with another mechanical DNF.
Quotes…
Loris Baz – Winner
“The guys did a good job because since Austin I’ve been struggling a lot with my start. We had some problem with my clutch. They found some parts that were not nice after Austin, so they changed it. But yesterday I had a bad start again and had a really strange feeling going into the warmup lap, so I was scared going to the race. But I had a good start. I can manage to go first and finally able to be aggressive again like I was in ’21. That has been the biggest problem for me this year. Not being able to be aggressive and overtake guys, for many reasons in the setup. I was first, and because we didn’t have many dry sessions this year, only two and it was the two races, I didn’t know what to expect from the rear tire drop at the end. So, I knew I had Josh (Herrin) and one guy, and then they just showed me there was Josh. So, I tried to slow down the pace, not use my tire, and then I was watching Josh’s pit board and it was plus 1.5, plus 1, plus 0.5. I was like, ‘whoa, they’re coming back.’ But then I was just instead of trying to push and kill the tire, I tried to close the line. Josh showed me his wheel. I overtook him again. I think he made my life easier. I think he had something more all season than everyone, and especially today. I saw in the warmup how his bike reacted. But we did some changes. We went in this direction. We changed the lean of the bike between the warmup and the race, so big thanks to the crew for that, and I felt good. It’s cool that we worked together all year and it’s paying off, especially for the team. It’s so cool to end up like this. It’s the home race for the whole team and we’re going to celebrate at the Mount Airy Casino tonight, which is a sponsor of the team. So, it’s cool. My dad is here. It’s the first time he came to a race in America. He’s going to come every race next year. Coming back to the race, last lap I knew there were many guys behind. I could hear that it was not Josh anymore. I thought it was Cam (Beaubier). I just tried to close the line. Going into that last lap, Hayden Gillim moved yesterday going in. I was like, should I close the door, or should I just try to go in fast and see what happens? I’m just happy it worked out. Sometimes just a tiny bit that makes you a hero or zero. But I’m proud of what I did and what all the guys did in HSBK this weekend.”
Sean Dylan Kelly – Second Place
“Definitely a pretty amazing way to finish off the season. Obviously, we always want to finish off strong. I didn’t win today, but I think that was definitely one of my two strongest races of the whole season. The other one being obviously when I won. This one, I came from a ways back and both Ducatis got up really strong at the beginning. I was able to get through the pack. Obviously qualifying seventh was not ideal, so I had to make some moves, make some passes. Straight out of the gate I felt way better than yesterday. Not too much to say. Up until today, it was a very strange weekend. Obviously, it was strange for everyone with the weather, but even just how I felt on the bike, some issues we were having, some things that we were running into and some silly mistakes we were making within the team, too. Like Q1 when I qualified seventh, that was first on me and then on the team. We didn’t do the right strategy. We definitely messed some things up today, but we are a rookie rider, rookie team. I think we didn’t make as many as we thought we should have this season in general, so it’s okay to get it in. Maybe we relaxed a bit too much after a win a couple weeks ago. We got it together today. I felt amazing. I saw Cam (Beaubier) struggling a little bit, so I got by him and it seemed like he got some pace while being behind me and he got in front of me. He made fastest lap, and then he made a mistake. I got by. I learned a little bit from him that fast lap. I feel like once he did that, I just kept on repeating the lap time. I just put my head down and I was just committed to getting to these guys. Got by Josh with a few laps to go. I definitely tried it on (Loris) Baz, but it was going to be way, way too dirty. He was braking really strong. Obviously, I was also a bit toasted up from coming a couple seconds back. I’m pretty stoked for him. I didn’t realize it was his first-ever win here, so that’s pretty badass that we did it two weekends in a row. It’s a pleasure to be racing with these dudes.”
PJ Jacobsen won MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2 on Dunlop tires, the New York native fought off season-long rival Mathew Scholtz to take his seventh win of the season.
Scholtz, the newly crowned 2024 Supersport Champion, put up a tough fight for the first half of the race but had to settle for second place on his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Rahal Ducati Moto w/Roller Die + Forming’s Corey Alexander put in a strong, late-race push to secure third.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was in the hunt for a podium finish for most of the race but ended up fourth.
Blake Davis went from 17th on the grid to a fifth-place finish on his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R6.
Herfoss Crowned In King Of The Baggers Finale At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Troy Herfoss And Hayden Gillim Are The Final 2024 Champions Crowned In The 2024 MotoAmerica Championship
Troy Herfoss (17) leads Kyle Wyman (33), James Rispoli (43) and Rocco Landers (97) in Sunday’s finale of the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 29, 2024) – S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss removed any drama from Sunday’s title decider in the Mission King Of The Baggers finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park as the Australian made the race his own, crossing the finish line as the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Champion.
Although the pair were separated by just two points at the start of Sunday’s finale, the winner-take-all thriller between Herfoss and Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman never materialized. Wyman got the start he wanted, led briefly and was soon passed by Herfoss. It didn’t take Wyman long to realize he didn’t have the same pace as his Indian-mounted rival, and it ended up being a tough day at the office for the winningest rider ind Mission King Of The Baggers history.
It didn’t get any easier for Wyman when he was attacked from behind by RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers with the 19-year-old eventually taking second from the New Yorker. Wyman held on for third and he and Herfoss ended the season just 11 points apart.
For Herfoss it was his seventh win of the year and his 14th trip to the podium out of 18 races and he adds the King Of The Baggers title to his three Australian Superbike Championships. He crossed the line 1.7 seconds ahead of Landers after fist pumping his way through the final set of corners.
Landers, in turn, was just .119 of a second ahead of a disappointed Wyman.
Landers late-season burst of speed moved him all the way to fourth in the championship. He actually tied his teammate Hayden Gillim, fifth today, in the points tally, but the spot went to Gillim via the tiebreaker.
Fourth place in Sunday’s finale went to Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara, just a few tenths ahead of Gillim.
“Firstly, thank you,” Herfoss said. “It’s been an incredible journey. Seriously, twelve months ago I was in this position in Australia and on top of the world, but didn’t know exactly what I wanted from racing moving forward. This incredible opportunity to come and race for a new motorcycle (brand) in King Of The Baggers came up. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone, and that’s exactly what it was. I was extremely uncomfortable from the banks of Daytona through the world championship crowds at COTA to the gravel trap at Brainerd, and to here, this moment winning a championship. It’s been a wild ride and an incredible journey. Kyle (Wyman) has been an amazing competitor, just a true professional in every way. He literally just kept himself in there on his bad days, and on the good days he made me pay. It was exciting. It was stressful. It’s a real highlight for me. Last year was a huge highlight for me, coming back from a big injury to win a Superbike Championship in Australia. But I don’t know if I believed I could do this at the start of the year, so that’s why it makes it pretty special for me.”
Hayden Gillim wrapped up the Stock 1000 Championship after winning Sunday’s race over Ashton Yates (27). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Stock 1000 – Seven Is Heaven For Gillim
With a 12-point lead in hand at the start of the last Stock 1000 race of the season, Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim didn’t have to win to be crowned champion. But he won anyway.
The win, his seventh of the year, combined with his rival Jayson Uribe finishing third on the OrangeCat BMW M 1000 RR, gave Gillim his second successive Stock 1000 Championship with this one coming on a Honda CBR1000RR-R SP – thus giving Honda its first-ever MotoAmerica title.
Second place went to Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates with the Georgian hounding Gillim for the entire race. Yates waited until the final lap to make a move on Gillim with a pass in turn one on the final lap. But it didn’t stick as Gillim re-passed him immediately. From there it was just a case of defending the inside and keeping Yates behind him.
Yates held on for second, just .049 of a second off the back of Gillim, and it was enough to earn him third in the championship.
Uribe ended a highly successful season of racing with a third-place finish as he narrowly topped FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith on the final lap by just .030 of a second.
AMD Motorsport RK Racing’s Richard Kerr was fifth with the Irishman well clear of sixth-placed Bryce Prince on his BPR Yamaha YZF-R1.
“It means a lot,” Gillim said. “Haven’t had a weekend like this since Barber. Had a couple crashes and made it a lot harder on ourselves. Jayson (Uribe) was making us work for it. Ashton (Yates) was really getting it going here at the end. It’s cool to have Honda one and two and wrap up the championship for the Real Steel Southern Honda Powersports team. It’s cool to have the family and everybody here and all the fans. Thanks for sticking it out in the weather.”
Mathew Chapin (95) leads Ella Dreher (22) and Avery Dreher (1) in their epic battle in Sunday’s Junior Cup race at NJMP. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Junior Cup – Chapin In A Thriller
On Sunday, it was the final race of the final season for the Junior Cup Championship as the class gives way to the inaugural MotoAmerica Talent Cup Championship in 2025. Two teams and four riders raced in close formation at the front, and who would win, who would reach the podium, and who would finish just off the podium were in question right up until they crossed the finish line.
BARTCON Racing’s Matthew Chapin, who won the championship two weekends ago at Circuit of The Americas, prevailed with the win by just .252 of a second over Bad Boys Racing’s Ella Dreher, while Dreher’s older brother Avery Dreher – who was this year’s defending class champion – crossed the finish line only .018 of a second behind Ella to take the third spot on the podium.
Chapin’s teammate Eli Block finished fourth, just missing out on the podium by .008 of a second.
“Oh, man. That race was really fun,” Chapin said. “I had fun battling with Eli, Avery, and Ella. They were all ripping. It was overall a great race. None of us really made any mistakes. It was really hard to close the gap to Avery at first. He was fast right from the start. I just want to give a huge thanks to (team owner) Colin Barton and (crew chief) Mike Skowronek for everything they’ve done for me this season. My mom and dad, and all my family and friends for coming out. Blud lubricants, KYT, Bison, thank you guys.”
PJ Jacobsen (15) and Mathew Scholtz (11) were at it again in Supersport class action at NJMP. Jacobsen won with Scholtz finishing second. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Supersport – Jacobsen Ends It In Victory
With the 2024 Supersport Championship decided on Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, title winner Mathew Scholtz was free to mix it up with the field on Sunday.
And mix it up, he did. It was “just like old times again” in MotoAmerica’s middleweight class as Strack Racing’s Scholtz and Rahal Ducati Moto’s PJ Jacobsen took their familiar spots at the front of the field and proceeded to swap the lead back and forth.
The situation stabilized in the middle laps of the race as Jacobsen established himself in the lead. The New Yorker then stretched his lead at the front and took the checkered flag nearly three-and-a-half seconds ahead of race runner-up Scholtz. Jacobsen’s teammate Corey Alexander finished third, almost 13 seconds behind Scholtz.
“Last night, I didn’t sleep too well,” Jacobsen said. “It was a hard race yesterday for me. I was really struggling, but we kind of went back to the drawing board last night and figured out some stuff that we saw on the data. I felt pretty good in morning warmup, and then, in the race, I felt really good, as well. I was actually surprised that (Mathew) Scholtz was there and made the pass. I was running mid-22s at that point. I was like, ‘Wow, this is pretty fast.’ But it’s been like that all season with him. I was happy to get the win here for the last race of the season and going into winter like that. Especially for the team itself. They worked so hard this first season. So, I’m really proud of the team and everything that they’ve accomplished. We didn’t get the championship, but we definitely fought pretty hard for it. We made some mistakes along the way as a team, also me as a rider. I feel like it was a really good season.
“Having Scholtz as a person to battle with all year, we used to talk more in Superbike and stuff, and I think all the stuff that drew to the competition. It was almost like UFC fighting. It was really good. At the end of the day, that’s how it should be. You don’t want to be laughing and stuff like that with the person you’re battling with. You go in there, and he has to pay his bills, and I have to pay mine. So, at the end of the day, he won a championship, and we’re not really friends on the track. So, I congratulate him and the whole team. Hopefully, he and I can start talking again and be friends. It’s been a long season. Congrats to them. I really enjoyed this whole season, even though it’s been super up-and-down. I had strong moments and bad ones. You look back and you learn from all that stuff. So, we’ll just move forward and get ready for next year.”
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK RACE 2
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2024 | WARM-UP & RACE 2
The checkered flag has been waved for the final time of the 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport season. And just as the season started, the Rahal Ducati Moto team claimed victory as PJ Jacobsen crossed the finish line with Corey Alexander coming in third and Kayla Yaakov finishing seventh.
With nothing to lose, all three riders rode incredible races and finished the season off on an incredible effort.
As the final round of competition falls behind us, Rahal Ducati Moto reflects back on the incredible success coming out of its debut season. Take a look at the below statistics from RDM’s first year:
Seven race wins: Road Atlanta Race 1 (Jacobsen), Road America Race 2 (Jacobsen), Road America Race 1 (Jacobsen), Laguna Seca Race 1 (Jacobsen), Laguna Seca Race 2 (Jacobsen), Mid-Ohio Race 1 (Jacobsen), New Jersey Race 2 (Jacobsen)
20 total podiums: Road Atlanta Race 2 (2nd, Alexander), Barber Race 1 (2nd, Jacobsen), Barber Race 2 (2nd, Jacobsen), Road America Race 2 (3rd, Jacobsen), Brainerd Race 1 (2nd, Jacobsen), Brainerd Race 2 (2nd, Jacobsen // 3rd, Alexander), Ridge Race 1 (2nd, Jacobsen // 3rd, Yaakov), Ridge Race 2 (2nd, Yaakov), COTA Race 1 (3rd, Alexander), New Jersey Race 1 (2nd, Alexander // 3rd, Jacobsen), New Jersey Race 2 (3rd, Corey Alexander)
29 top-five finishes, 43 top-10 finishes
14 front-row starts
679 of 722 laps completed
90 of a possible 245 laps led
Only two races in which a Rahal Ducati Moto Rider did not finish on the podium (Mid-Ohio Race 2 and COTA Race 2)
As the truck heads back to the team’s new headquarters in Zionsville, Indiana, and begins to prep for the 2025 season, we are incredibly thankful to our entire crew, our riders, our sponsors, and our fans for all their support throughout our rookie season. Rahal Ducati Moto looks forward to growing the team’s success and fighting for the championship next season.
Keep up with all things Rahal Ducati Moto this off season by following the team on social media (@rahalducatimoto).
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 4th
FINISHED: 1st
CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd (331 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Today was great. I feel like yesterday we were struggling with grip and some other things out of our hands. I went 1.1 seconds faster in this race. I felt really good today. Scholtz was pressuring me and got past me, but then I regained myself again and felt great – even towards the end if he were to come back towards me with those laped bikes – I still could’ve went faster with my lap times. I’m really happy to cap of the season like this, especially for the team. They’ve done such a great job this entire season. It’s great to end the season with a win and get a short break before working for next year, when we start testing and Graham [Rahal] can keep it rolling for us next season. Huge thanks to the whole team and XPEL.”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 ROLLER DIE + FORMING DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 3rd
FINISHED: 3rd
CHAMPIONSHIP: 6th (176 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a great weekend for us at home here in New Jersey – getting two podiums to cap off the year. I really wanted to get a win before the season was over, and I gave it everything I had today, but PJ and Mathew [Scholtz] were riding too well for me. I had nothing left with some grip issues, but otherwise they just outrode me. I’m stoked to go into the off season and continue into next year with some more progress. Thanks to the whole team for all their hard work all year and thanks to Roller Die and our sponsors for making this possible.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 5th
FINISHED: 7th
CHAMPIONSHIP: 7th (151 pts)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “We just finished the last race of the year, and I would’ve liked to end it on a better note, but with all things considered, I’m very happy with the progress we made. This whole season has been amazing, and I couldn’t have asked to be a part of a better team. For our first year, we’ve done an amazing job. I’m happy that we were able to achieve my goal, which was to be on the podium by the middle of the season. We made progress, continued to chip away at it, and got closer to the front – a definite positive. As much as I would’ve wanted to be a little bit closer, this is part of it, and we’re going to continue to keep learning and keep growing. I can’t wait to continue with this team next year and come back even stronger.
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a really great last race of the season for Rahal Ducati Moto. I’m really proud of all three riders. PJ rode lights out, Corey had a good third place, and Kayla had a pretty rough weekend until this morning and in the race, but she was able to regroup, turn it around to where she wanted to be, and put in a great race. We can’t be happier with how they rode. For the first year on the team, everything worked out really well. We wanted the championship, but it’s our first year and that’s the way it goes. We just have to do better next year. I can’t say enough about the whole team, I’m very happy for everybody.”
Matthew Chapin won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race Two Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 on spec Dunlop tires, the newly crowned Champion came out on top of a four-way fight that went down to the checkered flag. It was the seventh win of the season for Chapin.
Bad Boys Racing’s Ella Dreher, age 14, went from fourth to second in the final run to the line. Dreher finished 0.252 second behind Chapin and just 0.018 second ahead of her 18-year-old brother Avery Dreher.
Chapin’s teammate Eli Block was fourth, just 0.008 second behind Avery Dreher.
Zarns Performance’s Levi Badie rounded out the top five.
Hayden Gillim won MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Riding his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on Dunlop control tires, Gillim held off a race-long challenge from Ashton Yates to win the race and with it the 2024 Championship.
Yates tried to pass Gillim on the last lap but couldn’t make it stick and had to settle for second place on his Jones Honda.
Gillim’s primary Championship rival Jayson Uribe charged forward from eighth on the grid, but the best he could do was third on his OrangeCat Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
More, from a press release issued by Real Steel Motorsports:
Hayden Gillim is the back-to-back MotoAmerica Stock 1000 champion after capturing the 2024 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship with his Honda CBR 1000RR-R Fireblade SP in the final race at the final 2024 round at NJMP.
Hayden Gillim (1). Photo courtesy Real Steel Motorsports.
Real Steel Motorsports Millville, New Jersey September 29, 2024: MotoAmerica Superbikes at New Jersey event held September 27 – 29, 2024 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ.
Hayden Gillim went into the final round of the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship with a 7-point lead in the standings and finished off qualifying Friday afternoon with provisional pole position with a 1.5 second gap back to 2nd place. With conditions Saturday morning the Friday times stood as the fastest and Gillim had pole position for the races.
In the first race on Saturday Hayden took the lead from the start and led for the first 10 laps until his competitor for the championship passed for the lead. The remaining 4 laps were a dogfight with Hayden making a last lap last corner pass to take the victory. Going into the final race on Sunday Gillim had a 12-point lead.
On Sunday Hayden again took the lead off the start and while hounded by a fellow Honda CBR 1000RR-R, he was never passed and finished the season with another victory. Gillim retained the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship despite stiff competition and showcased the potential of the Honda CBR 1000RR-R SP Fireblade.
This effort is proudly supported by Steel Commander Corp. Southern Honda Powersports, American Honda, Comstock Energy LLC, Vesrah, Maxima Racing Oils, Fast Line Track Days, KTech suspension, Orient Express, Dunlop, GB Racing, Redline Tire warmers, and REB Graphics.
Hayden Gillim – Rider #1: “This season was a ton of fun with lots of ups and lots of downs and a few too many crashes but on the Stock 1000 everything came together in the end. I won a good handful of races and just had a lot of fun with the team. I can’t thank the sponsors, crew (Jerry, Mark, Rob, Colby and Chuck) and Summer and the kids enough. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”
Jerry Nickell – Team Principal: “2024 has been an exciting year and the team is proud to have brought a MotoAmerica championship to Honda with the CBR 1000RR-R SP Fireblade – It’s been a long time coming. Hayden is an amazing rider and a great partner in this adventure. I’m looking forward to returning to the MotoAmerica paddock next year and continuing to build on our team’s success and history.”
Mark Junge – Crew Chief: “Hayden was a Beast on this Honda CBR 1000RR-R Fireblade SP even with his injured hand and really highlighted the performance of this package. On the next to the last lap in Saturday’s race he had a major tank-slapper coming on to the front straight that measured at 2.8 G’s and had 18 oscillations on the data, and he recovered and made a winning pass in the final corner – He is an amazing rider.”
David Carmody – GM Southern Honda Powersports: “Southern Honda Powersports is proud to be a part of the Real Steel Motorsports family and partner with Hayden on the project to bring the Honda CBR 1000RR-R SP Fireblade to the top step of the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 championship. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Hayden, Jerry, Mark and the team in 2025.”
From fourth on the grid Adrian Huertas made a bad start and dropped to seventh position on the opening lap. The championship leader struggled throughout the race and eventually finished in fifth position as he was unable to progress through the lead group
Having started from the front row of the grid Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) made a strong start but running wide at Turn 12 and Turn 15 on Lap 2 dropped him to fifth position. As he made progress through the lead group the combative Italian came past Valentin Debise and Can Oncu on consecutive laps. It was in the second half of the race where Montella showed his speed. Taking the lead on Lap 8 from Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) Montella immediately set the fastest lap of the race as he opened a gap that at the end of the 15 lap race was almost two seconds to the field. The victory was his sixth of the season
Starting from pole position Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) led for the opening third of the race. An aggressive overtaking move by Navarro saw contact between the two on the run to Turn 15 and on the final lap Manzi was able to come back past his rival and claim the tenth second place finish of his season
A final corner move by Navarro saw him come past Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) for his second podium of the season
Championship standings
Huertas now holds a 41 point advantage over Montella in the standings with Manzi five points further back. Huertas can claim the title at the next round of the championship
Debise has taken command of fourth in the standings to sit 14 points ahead of Marcel Schroetter with four races remaining
More on worldsbk.com
P1 | Yari Montella
“It was a perfect way to end the weekend. Yesterday, we lost a podium finish when I was fighting with Stefano and Valentin. Today I needed to focus on getting to the front and being able to set my pace. I knew that this was our best option to win. The start of the race was a bit crazy but I stayed focused. My goal is to arrive at the final day of the season in Jerez on the final Sunday and to still be fighting for the championship. It’s not easy in Supersport but we need to remain focused on the bike’s setup and try to find the right direction from the start of each weekend. Estoril is a good track for me. I like it and I have good memories there. It should be a fun way to finish the championship.”
Alvaro Bautista won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday at MotorLand Aragon, in Alcaniz, Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Pirelli control tires, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 18-lap race by 3.366 seconds. It was Bautista’s second full-length race win of the season to go with his two Superpole Race wins in 2024.
World Championship point leader Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR.
The start of a World Superbike race Sunday at MotorLand Aragon. Photo courtesy Dorna.
A race long three rider battle was settled in Alvaro Bautista’s favour on the final lap. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider made the critical overtaking move just three corners from home to defeat Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the run to the flag
Having finished second in Race 1, Razgatlioglu repeated his effort during the Superpole Race. The Turkish rider led 3 laps, and set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 7, but couldn’t hold off the charge of Bautista on the final lap
Race 1 winner Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) finished in fourth position ahead of Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team)
Race 2 Highlights
Starting from pole position Bautista led every lap to claim the 63rd victory of his WorldSBK career. The Ducati rider was under pressure throughout the 18 lap duration as he traded fastest lap after fastest lap with Razgatlioglu but in the closing three laps Bautista finally broke clear and opened a margin of one second to his rival
Despite starting third and finishing third it was a difficult day for Bulega. The rookie dropped to ninth position on Lap 2 and gradually eased his way back to the podium midway throughout the race. The Ducati rider moved past Lecuona on Lap 3, Locatelli on Lap 4, van der Mark on Lap 6, Petrucci on Lap 8 before overtaking Iannone and Gerloff on Lap 10 as he showed his speed. However, by the time he was in the podium positions he was already five seconds adrift of the race leaders and had to settle for third position
Garrett Gerloff (31) leads Andrea Iannone (29) and Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Iannone and Gerloff fought for fourth until the chequered flag and at the final corner Gerloff tried to attack but ran wide into Turn 16 and Iannone came back past
By finishing in eighth position Iker Lecuona moved ahead of his Team HRC teammate, Xavi Vierge, in the standings. Vierge finished tenth as Honda continued their strong run of form
Championship standings
Razgatlioglu extended his championship lead to 39 points over Bulega by virtue of finishing third in all three races this weekend
Bautista is now 42 points behind his teammate in the standings
Alvaro Bautista celebrates his Race Two victory. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Danilo Petrucci moved into fourth in the standings. The Barni Spark Racing Team sits 13 points ahead of Alex Lowes with the Kawasaki rider ruled out of action following a crash during the Superpole Race
Ducati extended their Manufacturers Championship lead over BMW to 42 points
More on worldsbk.com
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I felt really good with the bike today. It was much better than yesterday because I had some problems with the front in Race 1. Today, I was able to fight for the win and in the Superpole Race I made a last-lap overtake. It was a really enjoyable race this morning and for Race 2 it was great at the start because I was able to lead early on and then focus on myself. At the beginning of the race I struggled with the bike’s weight. In the first few laps, it was great to be in the lead and I could set my pace. As the race continued I felt better and could push more. On the last lap I had a gap to Toprak. I want to say a big thanks to my team. They helped me a lot this weekend to regain the confidence I was missing. I can only be happy with today.”
P2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I did my best at the start of the race. I followed Alvaro and had a plan to stay with him and then maybe to start fighting with him in the last five laps. However, in those final laps my pace started to drop. Alvaro had more grip than the other bikes in the last laps. I was pushing hard, but I could see that the gap was growing. At that point, I settled for second because it wasn’t possible to catch him. In the long corners Alvaro had a big advantage and he did an incredible job. It feels like he’s made a real comeback. I’m happy for him but I’m focused now on Estoril. I need to win there because finishing second is tough for me.”
P3 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“The beginning of the race was really difficult because I lost positions with some aggressive riders. I had to pick up the bike in braking and I dropped back to eighth place and I was stuck in the middle of the pack. I managed to recover and reach the podium, but I lost the chance to fight for the top two spots. Alvaro and Toprak both did a great job, congratulations to them. I’ll try again next time.”
Alvaro Bautista won the FIM Superbike World Championship Superpole Race Sunday at MotorLand Aragon, in Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on spec Pirelli tires, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 10-lap race by just 0.088 second.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR, but that finish further extended the Turkish rider’s lead in the World Championship point standings.
Nicolo Bulega, Bautista’s teammate and Razgatlioglu’s closest title rival, was a very close third, just 0.172 second behind first place.
Race One winner Andrea Iannone got fourth on his Team Go Eleven Ducati.
American Garrett Gerloff finished fifth on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Lombok, Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jorge Martin won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard won the 27-lap race by 1.404 seconds.
It was Martin’s third full-length race win of the season but his first since his victory at Le Mans in May. The win extended his lead in the MotoGP World Championship point standings to 21.
Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta was the runner-up on his Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 machine.
Two-time and defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia placed third on his Lenovo Team Ducati.
Martin’s teammate Franco Morbidelli put in another strong showing with fourth.
Marco Bezzecchi took fifth on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati.
Martin makes Sunday statement as Bagnaia’s late surge salvages podium
The #89 storms to victory on Sunday as Acosta returns to the podium, Bagnaia clinches third, Bastianini crashes out and Marquez suffers a technical issue in Indonesia
The start of Sunday’s MotoGP race in Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 29 September 2024
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) stormed to glory at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, with the #89 taking his first Sunday win since the French GP. ‘The Martinator’ looked unstoppable, claiming his first victory at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit after crashing out of the GP in both 2022 and 2023, as well as in the Tissot Sprint this season. Martin took a valuable 25 points in his Championship charge, extending his advantage from 12 to 21 as key rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) came home third after a late charge.
Between the two, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) pushed Martin hard in the early stages before being forced to settle for second, nevertheless moving up to fifth overall.
At the start, Martin made the dream launch, earning himself clear track ahead with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) in chase. Meanwhile, Bagnaia struggled on the opening lap, dropping to fourth before Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) found their way through – dropping the Italian to sixth.
Meanwhile, it was a dramatic first lap, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) and Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) crashing at Turn 3. The FIM MotoGP™ Stewards investigated the incident, with no further action taken.
Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) was unable to repeat his magical Sprint launch, but the #93 still made ground in the opening stages. Marc Marquez started in 12th and was soon in seventh – setting sights on Bagnaia.
At the front, Martin set a red-hot pace, setting the fastest lap of the Grand Prix and extending his gap to 1.333s. Meanwhile, Acosta was on the attack, leaping into second position ahead of a charging Morbidelli in an impressive move for the rookie.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) had an intense fight with Marc Marquez in the first nine laps. However, everything unfolded for the Italian, losing the front at the technical Turn 10 – dropping Di Giannantonio to 17th. Meanwhile, Marc Marquez’ Championship chances then suffered a huge blow, with technical issues dropping the #93 out of contention on Lap 12 as he pulled off, bike on fire.
Behind Martin and Acosta, the battle for the podium then really began with Morbidelli, Bastianini, Bezzecchi and Bagnaia locked together on the circuit. Bastianini tried to overtake on Lap 16 before the key move came on Lap 17 – promoting ‘The Beast’ to third. It was then some incredible pace unleashed from Bastianini, edging closer at every sector to the leaders.
Bastianini’s rhythm was sensational, but then it all came apart with a crash on the entry to Turn 1 on Lap 21 – rider OK. It was a massive blow for the #23, dropping over 70 points behind Martin in the Championship as just 12 riders remained in the Indonesian Grand Prix, only two of whom were top title contenders.
Bagnaia’s momentum built from there on out, picking off Bezzecchi on Lap 22 before the move came for third place on Lap 23 – demoting Morbidelli to fourth. Acosta was a further three seconds up the road, a tough task for even a two-time MotoGP™ World Champion.
In the closing stages, Martin had a two-second advantage, controlling the pace and the race at the front. The #89 was unstoppable on the final lap, leading the charge and storming to victory by 1.404s over rookie Acosta. Meanwhile, Bagnaia took a valuable third, bagging some points which could prove to be crucial.
Fourth place was taken by Morbidelli, with the Italian showing a continuing to his impressive form. The #21 claimed the bragging rights over Bezzecchi, who rounded out the top five spots as Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) crossed the line a further 4.558s behind in sixth and ended the day as the top Aprilia rider. Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) pulled off another stunning ride, finishing in seventh for the third GP in a row, beating Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to the line.
Johann Zarco landed a ninth-place finish on an incredible day for the CASTROL Honda LCR squad, Honda’s best of the season so far. The Frenchman finished ahead of Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing), who took the final spot inside the top 10. Further back, Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) took 11th after an attritional day which saw Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) demoted to 12th after a 16 second penalty due to tyre pressure.
After an unbelievable weekend in Indonesia, we head to the iconic Mobility Resort Motegi for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, and with the Championship battle in full flow. Is it now a two-horse chase or are there more twists and turns just around the corner? Make sure you join us as the world’s most exciting sport returns in just one week!
Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Lombok, Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Aron Canet won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. The Spaniard won the 22-lap race by a margin of 6.218 seconds on his Pirelli-shod Fantic Racing Kalex. It was Canet’s second win of the season but his first since round two in Portugal, and it moved him into a tie for third in the World Championship standings.
Current World Championship point leader Ai Ogura was the runner-up on his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro.
Alonso Lopez placed third on his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro, just 0.1 second ahead of his teammate Fermin Aldeguer in fourth.
Darryn Binder took fifth on his Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP Kalex.
American Joe Roberts got sixth on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex, but he dropped from third to fifth in the World Championship point standings. With five races remaining, Roberts was three points out of third place, 13 points behind second, and only 55 points behind leader Ogura.
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a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
